LOCAL government electoral pursuits in the Northern Midlands municipality have been wrought with intrigue in the lead-up to this month’s election.
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The council will see three of its members bow out of the process, including long-standing Northern Midlands Mayor Kim Polley.
After stating she would again stand for the council’s top position in June, the announcement of retirement from Cr Polley last month came as a surprise to many.
Even more surprising was the announcement of her husband, former speaker of the House of Assembly and Tasmania’s longest-standing MP, Michael Polley’s intention to run as councillor.
Mr Polley retired from the house in March and said his intentions were to push for better resource-sharing and to prevent amalgamation of councils.
The intrigue was again upped as former federal minister Dick Adams registered his interest as mayor for the municipality.
Mr Adams lost his Lyons seat to Liberal Eric Hutchinson in last year’s September election.
Clashing with Mr Adams for mayor will be Northern Midlands Council stalwart and current Deputy Mayor David Downie.
Cr Downie joined local government when the council was formed in 1993, and was most recently re-elected in 2009 with a count of 863.
If successful in his bid for re-election, he will be standing for a 25-year service history with the council.
The battle for deputy mayor looks to be tight, judging by statistics from the 2011 and 2009 elections on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website.
Standing councillors Ian Goninon, Richard Goss, Mary Knowles and Janet Lambert have registered for the position.
The highest votes from previous years are held by Cr Goss and Cr Lambert, both from the 2011 election.
Cr Goss pushed through above Cr Lambert, with 1050 votes over her 1028.
Cr Knowles and Cr Goninon were both up in the 2009 vote, with Cr Knowles pushing through with 888 votes to Cr Goninon’s 863.
After Jeff Carins and Matthew Brooks this year retired from council, it leaves Northern Midlands with only Andrew Calvert re-electing for a regular councillor position.
Although Cr Calvert was elected in 2011 with 1072 votes, gaining more than Cr Goss and Cr Polley, he did not run for the mayor position.
Also competing for a spot on the council will be Vanessa Thirkell-Johnston and Leisa Gordon.
Ms Thirkell-Johnston said she would push for community consultation on issues such as the Perth bypass, focus on better economy, heritage and maintenance of roads and footpaths.
Ms Gordon owns Campbell Town’s Cupboard Hair Studio and said she would focus on banding together as a municipality to inspire new ideas and initiatives within the region.
Only one of the 10 candidates from this election will not gain a seat in the new council.